Ginna Fay

Lord willing, Hannah and I leave for Macedonia in 22 days. We are still working on our Visa. Please pray that the process will go smoothly! All to the glory of God.

I was reading Acts 27 this morning and saw something I have never seen there before. I love it when that happens.

“When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the “northeaster,” swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.”

-Acts 27:13-15

So Paul is a prisoner on a ship. It is late in the year to be sailing, but the sailors press on anyway. Paul warns them that their journey is going to be destructive both to the ship, and to those on board. The sailors don’t heed his warning. A gentle breeze comes along, they think they obtain what they want, so they set sail once again. Then, winds of hurricane force come and blow the ship so that they are no longer in control.

I was thinking, that seems to be the nature of sin. When you don’t heed the warning, it is only a breath before you are out of control. Sin is not something to be taken lightly. It starts as something small, and quickly turns into something with destructive force. Heed the warning.

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. -Hebrews 9:27-28

This is what I am thinking about this morning:

If the Word is true, AND IT IS, then Jesus is returning to bring SALVATION. However, the scripture does not say that he is bringing salvation for everyone… but it says he is bringing it to MANY -to those who are waiting for Him.

What does waiting look like? When you wait for something, don’t you anticipate it’s coming? How often I forget that I am waiting.

I <3 Skype.

Lord willing, I will be leaving exactly 1 month from today!

I have had several people ask me what a typical day looks like so I thought I would go ahead and post it:

7 am – Breakfast! Except normally, I sleep until 7:30 and just eat a granola bar.

8 am – Sessions Begin

12 pm – Lunch

1 pm – More Sessions

3/4 pm – Sessions End

5 pm – Dinner

6 – Play/Work Time

We don’t veer from the schedule much. They cram a lot into a single day. (Not too mention all the requirements we have to fulfill in our free time.) It is quite exhausting. Never have I been so excited about Saturday!

On a different note, I have heard some incredible stories this week that I want to share with you. I don’t have time to type them up right now, but get ready because they will rock your world.

Because He lives…

Since being here in Virginia, I have adopted a couple of families. I have a story about one of them that I want to share with you. It made me laugh, and I hope it will make you laugh too.

In order to get a feel for what church will be like overseas, we have broken down into house churches. On Sunday mornings, a small group of people meet for worship in the living room of my Quad. There are 4 Journeyman, 1 married couple and 2 kids that make up my church.

The married couple is HILARIOUS and they have 2 little boys that are just as funny. The kiddos generally run around and play while the grown ups worship. Occassionally though, they will stop and listen.

So, last Sunday we had just settled down on the couches and were ready to begin worship. Micah, the 4 year old, decided he wanted to join us. He came and sat down next to his dad. He was chewing on something, but no one thought anything of it.

The leader opened discussion by asking, “Is there anything from the week that we should praise God for?”

Micah promptly answered, “I have something.” So, we all turned our attention to him. He generally has very insightful things to say.

He then put his fingers up to his lips and pulled something out of his mouth. Holding out his fingers he said,“This is my toenail.” Laughter erupted from everyone, including Micah. He then proceded to put the toenail back into his mouth.

His dad said, “Micah, don’t put that in your mouth!” In response, Micah spit the toenail into the middle of the floor.

It is still hard for me to believe that I leave for Macedonia in only 7 weeks. I am glad to know that I am working towards a bigger picture.

Yesterday, I momentarily lost site of that. The day seemed to drag on forever because we sat in the same place for nearly 8 hours! I am very American in the fact that my attention span does not last that long. To make matters worse, the lectures were on things that I know nothing about -finances, insurance, taxes, benefits… etc.  These are very important things, but they go straight over my head. I pray that when the time comes to do boat loads of paperwork, I will have the patience to learn.

Today has been wonderful though! Soon, I will post about some of the lessons I am learning. For now, I will leave you with a few quotes from the past week:

“What is the MAIN THING? Be with Him.”

“If you love less than the world, you do not love like the Father.”

“If I am going to be like Christ, I am going to be a servant.”

Because He lives…

(My nephews. They are going to be so big when I get back!)

I am safe and sound in Virginia! I arrived last night, after a very long day. I am going to be completely honest and say that it was one of the hardest days of my life. I love my family so much and I am going to miss out on their lives for two whole years! As I was sitting alone on the airplane, reality hit me in full force. I prayed for comfort, and the Lord brought to mind Ruth.

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

I am Ruth! Who am I, that I should find favor in the Lord’s eyes? Yet somehow I do, and under His wings I have refuge. I was talking with my partner Hannah, and she reminded me that the Lord’s love for me is greater than any other love, even the love I have for my family. I can’t fathom that. What comfort there is to be found beneath the shadow of His wings!

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. I will update again soon! Maybe even tonight because we have a lot of down time as people are still arriving.

I leave for Virginia in a week! I hope the coming week is as encouraging as the last one. Last Sunday, I was commissioned by my church family in Auburn. It was such a sweet time!

Today, I was commissioned by my new church family at Brook Hills. Having so many people praying is an incredible thing. I imagine that is a tiny glimpse of heaven. Multitudes, praying and worshiping our great God! A very humbling experience.

My last Sunday here, the church I grew up in is going to commission me. Philadelphia Baptist Church is near and dear to my heart. When I think of church family, I immediately think of them. They are the ones who have been with me since the beginning of this journey, and I am thankful to share my last Sunday with them.

I am truly humbled that the Lord would allow me to have such wonderful church families. One for each of the significant stages in my life. I cannot wait for the day when we are no longer divided by church buildings in different locations. I anticipate how sweet heaven will be, when all of God’s church will worship together in one unified place.

I am sitting at Toomer’s Coffee Company -my favorite place on earth. I can’t count how many times I’ve sat here to read or visit with friends. How I will miss this place! I am here saying fair well, and attempting to work on my Personalization Assignment… you can see how well that’s going. ;)

This song just came on my ipod, and it is wonderful. You should read the words:

In the secret of His presence how my soul delights to hide!
Oh, how precious are the lessons which I learn at Jesus’ side!
Earthly cares can never vex me, neither trials lay me low;
For when Satan comes to tempt me, to the secret place I go,
To the secret place I go.

When my soul is faint and thirsty, ’neath the shadow of His wing
There is cool and pleasant shelter, and a fresh and crystal spring;
And my Savior rests beside me, as we hold communion sweet:
If I tried, I could not utter what He says when thus we meet,
What He says when thus we meet.

Only this I know: I tell Him all my doubts, my griefs and fears;
Oh, how patiently He listens! and my drooping soul He cheers:
Do you think He ne’er reproves me? What a false Friend He would be,
If He never, never told me of the sins which He must see,
Of the sins which He must see.

Would you like to know the sweetness of the secret of the Lord?
Go and hide beneath His shadow: this shall then be your reward;
And whene’er you leave the silence of that happy meeting place,
You must mind and bear the image of the Master in your face,
Of the Master in your face.

…Because He Lives

These are my prayer cards. If you would like one as a reminder to pray for the goings on in Macedonia, please contact me! ginna@ginnafay.com

I have 17 days to finish well here, prepare for training, and pack for Macedonia. Not to mention spend quality time with friends and family. That is a lot to squish into 17 days! Your prayers would be much appreciated.

While I’m asking you to pray for things, next week is my last week working at the daycare. I have been taking my kids through the life of David. We are looking at David’s character and reign as king, and thinking about the bigger picture of God’s Kingdom. I am asking third through fifth graders to go beyond their normal level of thinking. Please pray that they will be able to comprehend the truths of Scripture, and that God’s Word would penetrate their hearts.

Lastly, Lakeview Baptist Church is commissioning me this Sunday night. If you are in Auburn, I would love for you to come!

…Because He Lives